Chapter 277 

R​ead‌​ ​o​n​ K​a‌t‌R‍e​a‌d‌i‍n‌g‌C​a‌f​e

“Eugene said he received a message from that kid with glasses.”

After Theresa left, leaving us alone, Yoo-seong revealed the whole story.

It was midday in midsummer. The sky was clear without a single cloud. The scorching sun was intensely hot. It was the kind of weather where one could collapse from dehydration if exposed for too long.

However, that was irrelevant to supernaturals. Not to mention Yoo-seong, the commander, wasn’t weak enough to collapse from this level of heat.

Even someone like Lucia wouldn’t collapse due to the heat of summer, you know?

But Yoo-seong seemed to think otherwise. He grabbed my hand and led me to a shaded area. The academy usually kept the rooftop open. Even if a student fell off the roof due to an accident, they wouldn’t get seriously injured, and even if the door was locked, they could just climb over the wall, so they left it open. Since all the students were superhumans, their basic common sense differed from other places.

As a result, the rooftop was often used as a resting space for students.

There were chairs to sit on and sunshades to avoid the sunlight.

Under the parasol that blocked the scorching sun, Yoo-seong began to speak.

“He said you collapsed.”

As expected, the reason Yoo-seong came to the academy was all because of me. Yoo-seong, having heard the news from Eugene’s message, immediately flew to the academy. If it was just a simple fainting episode, he wouldn’t have come this urgently.

Even if I was the successor who inherited everything from Lucille, Yoo-seong was the commander of the Celestial Corps. A leader who leads everyone from the highest position. He couldn’t act solely on personal feelings. He would worry, but he would have finished his immediate tasks before coming.

“He said it seems like the devil god is the culprit, so he asked for help.”

However, if it was a problem involving a devil god, the story was different.

If Belial was released, it would directly lead to a major accident.

Moreover, if a devil god rampaged in the academy, the damage would be incalculable.

“You seem fine, but… are you really okay?”

The opinion that a devil god was the cause was Eugene’s speculation. It was a reasonable suspicion. Eugene knew that a devil god was dwelling in my body. If I suddenly collapsed with bleeding, he would suspect the devil god first. In reality, that guess was accurate. Belial was the cause.

Yoo-seong seemed doubtful at my unharmed appearance. If I had really been attacked by a devil god, I should have been suffering from the aftereffects. It’s just that I was acting like nothing was wrong, but in reality, I had suffered quite a bit of damage.

Mental corruption.

A characteristic of the monsters.

Born from the flesh of ‘Ancient One’, they rejected other life forms.

A curse that invades and erodes the human mind, eventually leading to death.

I was subjected to the mental corruption of a devil god. It would have been better if it was because I fell into Belial’s trap. 

Though I avoided the trap splendidly, I couldn’t overcome my desires and self-destructed. Even I thought it was absurd. I managed to fix it somehow, but in reality, I was still a bit dazed.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

I said with a bright smile.

Only then did Yoo-seong relax his hardened expression.

He sighed deeply and shrugged his shoulders.

“Haa, so Eugene’s guess was wrong. That’s a relief. I was worried that the seal had already been broken. Ah, then why did you faint?”

“Belial attacked me.”

“I see. Well, if that’s the case, it’s understandable to faint… huh?”

Yoo-seong nodded, then gasped.

His transparent, sea-blue eyes widened.

“You said you were okay?!”

“That’s right, I’m totally fine.”

“No, how can you be okay after being attacked by a devil god…”

I raised my index finger and placed it on Yoo-seong’s lips. As Yoo-seong hesitated at the sudden action, I playfully winked one eye and said in a confident voice.

“Hehe, who do you think I am?”

“What do you mean…?”

“Lucia. I’m Lucia. Lucille’s successor. The person who follows in the footsteps of the Blessed Saintess.”

“…”

“Even if the opponent is a devil god, I wouldn’t be easily defeated, right?”

Of course, if it was a complete devil god, I would have been devoured immediately. If Belial was in perfect condition, he would have broken the seal in an instant and absorbed me. 

But with his soul torn and subjected to Lucille’s seal, and his power suppressed by Yoo-seong’s supernatural ability, even though I’m far short of Lucille, I wouldn’t be defeated by Belial, who had his limbs cut off and his teeth pulled out.

Even though I self-destructed.

“You don’t have to worry too much. I managed to handle it smoothly and resolved it.”

It was Belial’s last struggle.

Having exhausted all his remaining power, he couldn’t resist anymore.

Just like I replayed Belial’s memories.

Belial was also trapped in my memories, repeating the same section.

“Still, just in case.”

But I won’t let my guard down. Only the strong can afford to be careless. I belonged to the weak. I had been constantly growing, and I had achieved explosive growth by reading Lucille’s memories, but in relative terms, I was weak. Even the strong sometimes get caught off guard and get reversed, let alone the weak like me.

In the first place, self-destructing was a mistake born from carelessness.

It’s better to root out the seeds of anxiety for sure.

Hehe, I, Lucia, am growing every moment. I won’t repeat the same mistakes multiple times.

Since Yoo-seong came to visit, I was planning to tie things up for sure.

“Can you check my condition?”

I wanted to set up a solid safety device so that Belial couldn’t counterattack again. Also, with Yoo-seong’s supernatural ability, he might be able to purify my mental corruption. It would be killing two birds with one stone.

Besides, there was something else I wanted to ask Yoo-seong. To clean up after the mistake I made. Yoo-seong’s help was essential to package the M-leaning remarks as nonsense due to mental contamination.

If Yoo-seong saw the evidence that the devil god’s hand had touched my mind, it would help to persuade him. Ah, so it’s killing three birds with one stone. Ehehe, Lucia was actually a genius. I solve three things at once. Goodbye to the stupid, foolish Lucia. Ahem.

“Belial tried to contaminate my mind. I managed to block it, but…”

I tapped my forehead and made an awkward expression.

“I couldn’t block it completely.”

“…I understand what you mean.”

“Hehe, please.”

“Okay. Leave it to me.”

Blue jade with a golden glow rising. The dignity of the God of War, radiant and brilliant. Yoo-seong’s blue eyes were soon dyed gold. At the same time, starlight settled in his night sky-like hair. 

[Under heaven and earth, I alone am the honored one.]

Stars shone under the sun. Yoo-seong’s supernatural ability scattered a more magnificent radiance than the sunlight.

Yoo-seong stretched out his right hand, wrapped in light. Thump, his fingertips touched my forehead. Then, a flash of light flickered before my eyes. A feeling of electricity passing through my brain. For a moment, my waist lost strength and I shuddered. The subtle headache, as if it was there and not there, disappeared as if washed away.

“…”

Yoo-seong’s gaze lowered. He slowly lowered his hand that had been touching my forehead. He hesitated between his chin and shoulder for a moment, then sighed softly and lowered his hand further. Yoo-seong’s fingers touched my abdomen. I tilted my head. Why is he stabbing my stomach? If he’s going to check Belial’s seal, he should touch my left chest where my heart beats?

The place where Belial’s core used to be. The heart. Belial’s soul was torn to shreds and spread throughout my body, but the center was still the heart. With Yoo-seong’s abilities, he wouldn’t need to make direct contact with my chest. But why choose the difficult path when there’s an easy one?

Hehe, what is it?

Are you perhaps embarrassed?

Someone who’s old enough to eat a lot is embarrassed by something like this.

Is he a teenage boy? Not only his appearance but also his inner self was a boy?

How cute.

“Lu-Lucia?!”

Yoo-seong shouted in a flustered voice. Aren’t you overreacting? I just grabbed the hand that touched my abdomen and placed it on my chest.

It’s a special service. Lucia’s pride is her butt, but I’m also confident in my chest. In the past, my chest is still growing because my physical age became younger in the process of Lucille dying and coming back to life. It will soon become as big as the original Lucille.

“…Your playfulness is no less than Lucille’s.”

Whether he understood my intentions or not, Yoo-seong smiled bitterly. Hey, be a little more embarrassed. Yoo-seong closed his eyes as if he needed to concentrate. Humans rely on sight for most external information. When that vision is blocked, other senses become more sensitive.

What is it? Do you perhaps want to feel the fluffiness of my chest more intensely? I opened my mouth to make a joke like, “You’re such a pervert, big brother~.”

“Hehet?”

But what came out of my mouth was a groan that couldn’t become language.

“Hah, heu…oh, big brother…it, it tickles…”

As the golden light seeped into my body, a tickling sensation spread from the center of my chest. It didn’t hurt. It stopped just before it became painful.

“Endure it even if it’s hard. I’m adjusting it so it doesn’t hurt. Even I can’t reduce the power any further than this.”

I wish it hurt instead! What is this tantalizing feeling?! It’s more painful because it feels like it’s going to hurt but doesn’t! Are you retaliating because I joked around? That’s too much!

“Ehehe, heh…It’s okay if it hurts…?”

I said with sincerity, but Yoo-seong chuckled, taking it as a joke.

“Oh, really? Then I’ll make it really hurt?”

“Hehe, I’m…ready. Come at me as much as you want!”

“Then I won’t refuse.”

Contrary to his words, it’s still just tickling.

It doesn’t hurt at all.

It feels like it will hurt if the intensity is just a little stronger.

It’s neither here nor there, so it’s even more painful.

What is this, a new torture?

The golden light continued to seep into my body. Just as the beating of my heart circulates blood, the golden light spread throughout my entire body. 

Tickle, tickle. 

My legs twitched. My butt wiggled. Yoo-seong frowned and concentrated. Originally, it would have been slightly painful, but Yoo-seong’s delicate work ended at the ticklish level.

I appreciate the consideration, but…

I don’t need this kind of consideration.

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Oh, I’m sorry.

Due to personal reasons, the next chapter may be a little late.

But don’t worry too much, I’ll be back within a week!

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Tickle tickle! 

Hmm… Let’s torture and tickle Kat to death.

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